Comparison of Physical Activity, Functional Capacity and Quality of Life between Older Patients with Chronic Comorbidities and Healthy Peers: A Case of the State Hospital

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Aim: This study aimed to compare physical activity (PA), functional capacity (FC), and quality of life (QoL) among older patients with chronic comorbidities and their healthy peers in a state hospital setting. Material and Methods: A total of 148 older adults, divided into groups of obesity, hypertension (HT), type 2 diabetes (T2D), and healthy, with 37 participants in each group, were included. PA, FC, and QoL were assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF), the 6-minute walk test (6MWT), and the SF-36 Quality of Life Questionnaire, respectively. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test assessed variable distribution. Continuous variables were compared with one-way ANOVA, discrete variables with the Kruskal-Wallis test, and categorical variables with the chi-square test. Bonferroni and Mann-Whitney U tests were used for post-hoc pairwise comparisons. Results: The obesity group exhibited significantly lower PA and FC compared to all other groups (p=0.044). The QoL of the obesity group was also significantly lower than that of the HT and healthy groups (p=0.017). The HT group had significantly higher PA compared to the T2D group (p=0.046), with no significant difference between the HT and healthy groups (p=0.077). The FC in the HT group was significantly higher than in the T2D group (p=0.043) but not different from the healthy group (p=0.074). The QoL was significantly higher in the HT group compared to the T2D group (p=0.017), with no significant difference between the HT and healthy groups (p=0.803). The T2D group had significantly lower PA, FC, and QoL compared to the healthy group (p=0.040). Conclusion: PA, FC, and QoL were lowest in the obese group. Older patients with T2D also showed lower levels in these parameters compared to HT and healthy groups, though no significant differences were found between the HT and healthy peers.